Oneida's girls volleyball team sweeps Vernon-Verona-Sherrill

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill opened the girls volleyball season with a sweep of Rome Free Academy on Wednesday. A torrid string of serves to start the match set the tone and coach Shawn Lynch's Red Devils won impressively.

Thursday was a different story as Oneida used six aces in the first game and superb play by Marissa Smith for a 25-20 win. Coach Cyndi Bobo's team followed that with 25-5 and 25-8 victories in the next two games clinched the match.

"Last night we smoked (them), (tonight) they got down on themselves," Lynch said after his girls followed up a nearly flawless match against RFA with one not as good.

Oneida fell behind 2-0 to start the match as Alexis Kavanaugh had a kill and Erin Confer had an ace for VVS. But Confer missed the next serve moments later and a Smith kill and two aces by Emily LaSalle sparked a 6-1 run for the hosts. The teams traded missed serves then Kati Relyea and Smith pushed the lead to 10-5.

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Oneida went up 14-7 thanks to a great dig by Mary Sheridan before VVS rallied to tie the game 17-17. Kavanaugh had an ace, Sam Kogut had a kill and Erin Confer capped the run with a kill through a block. Oneida responded with a Smith kill. Katherine Clarke had a block to keep the run going. Smith added another ace and Rachel LaBrecque had a kill. Play went back and forth until Oneida closed out the first game then there was no more back and forth the rest of the night.

VVS did not have an earned point in the second game as Smith's four aces sparked Oneida's offense to an 18-4 lead. Seventeen of Oneida's points in the second game were earned - a remarkably high percentage - but the third game wasn't as good. Still, the hosts raced to a 9-1 lead with LaSalle having two aces to lead another balanced effort and VVS never got on track. Confer had a kill to draw the Red Devils with six at 9-3 but Oneida went on a 6-0 run to end any hope for a comeback. Clarke had two impressive blocks and Smith had two aces down the stretch to close out the match.

"I expected us to play well," Smith said after her nine aces and four kills, assists and digs led a balanced effort. "I was happy with my serves. I practice it and am good at it."

LaSalle was also happy and a bit surprised afterward.

"I knew we were going to play well, but I was nervous before," LaSalle said. "And Melissa was amazing."